


up in the air

by suituuup



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Airports, F/F, Meet-Cute, Stranded
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:00:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28923222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suituuup/pseuds/suituuup
Summary: Two strangers stranded at the airport. That's the whole plot.
Relationships: Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 62
Kudos: 236





	up in the air

A fucking mechanical issue. 

This is _just_ what Beca needed. She guesses she might have manifested it by thinking _there’s no way this day is getting worse_ a few times since this morning, when she stepped into dog poop, cracked her phone screen, and got into an argument with her manager, for example. 

And now, she is freaking stranded at JFK for a yet undetermined amount of time. 

She plops down in a vacant seat with a heavy sigh and takes her phone out of her coat pocket to check on her social media. The five percent battery level glares at her reproachfully, and she reaches for her large handbag to fish out her charger. 

“Fuck,” she mutters when, after emptying its contents on the seat next to her, her charger is nowhere to be found. “This is perfect. Abso-fucking-lutely perfect.” 

“Are you okay?” 

Beca glances up in surprise, her jaw damn near falling out of its hinges when she’s met with the most vibrant blue eyes she’s ever seen. _Answer the damn question, Beca. You look like a creep._ “Um.” Beca blinks, shaking her head. “Yes, yeah. I just… forgot my phone charger in my hotel room, I guess.” 

The woman sitting one seat over to her left winces. “Oh, no. What kind of phone is it?” 

“An iPhone 5.” She points a warning finger towards the stranger when she notices her lips curling up slightly. “Don’t make fun of me. I know. I’m a dinosaur.” 

The redhead chuckles and unplugs her own phone, handing her charger to Beca a few seconds later. “Here.” 

Beca hesitantly takes it, eyeing the other woman. “You sure you don’t need it?” 

“I’m at 56%, so I’ll be fine for a bit. We can just switch on and off, it seems like we’re going to be here for a while.” 

Beca releases a groan as she tilts her head back. “Ugh. This day couldn’t get any _worse_.” 

Fuck. She better keep her mouth shut or a snowstorm might hit them next. 

“Tell me about it,” the stranger mutters, letting out a dry chuckle. 

“Thanks,” Beca says, lifting the charger still held in her hand. “I appreciate it.” 

“No worries. I’m Chloe, by the way.” 

Beca nods, smiling a little. “Beca. Nice to meet you.” 

“You too. Going or leaving home?” 

“Heading home. I live in LA,” Beca replies as she plugs in her phone, resting it on her lap for now as there’s no point using it when the battery is still so low. “You?” 

“Same.” 

Beca nods once more. She doesn’t know what pushes her to encourage conversation, as she’s pretty much allergic to people, but there’s something about this Chloe that just… draws her in. “So what was so bad about your day?” 

“I flew out here to get my stuff from my former boyfriend’s and I’s apartment.” 

Beca’s nose crinkles in a grimace. “Ouch, sorry.” 

Chloe waves off her concern with her hand. “It’s fine. We broke up a while ago while I was doing my internship in LA. I got a really good job offer, and long-distance was already tricky, so we decided it was best to end things.” 

Beca nods slowly. “Gotcha. What do you do?” 

“I’m a vet.” 

Of course, her job is as adorable as she is, Beca thinks. 

“What about you?” 

“Oh, uh, I make music.” Wait, that sounds cocky. “As in I’m a music producer.” 

Chloe’s eyes light up. “Really? What kind?” 

“Mostly pop.” 

She tilts her head to the side. “Anything I might have heard?” 

“Uh, you know Girl in Red?” 

“Have I been living under a rock?” Chloe challenges with a smirk. “Of course I do! You’re her producer?” 

Beca nods, her cheeks heating up a little. “On her last track, yeah.” 

“That’s really cool.” Beca only shrugs, as always awkward when it comes to attention. “You like to listen to her music, then?” 

Beca’s brow furrows over the odd question. “Um yeah? That’s kind of a given since I produced the thing.” 

“Oh, you don’t _know_.” 

“Huh?” Her frown only deepens in confusion. “Know what?” 

Chloe grins, trapping her bottom lip between her teeth for a beat. “If someone wants to know whether a girl is into girls, that someone should ask her if she listens to Girl in Red. It’s like… a thing.” 

Beca’s brain takes its sweet time registering the meaning behind Chloe’s words. The lightbulb eventually flicks on, and her jaw slowly drops, flush rushing to meet her face and moving all the way down her neck once it runs out of space. 

“Oh,” is all she can manage, pinching her lips together as she breaks eye-contact before she dies from overheating. 

_God_ , she’s such a useless gay. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Chloe says softly. 

“No, no, it’s okay,” Beca rushes out. “I’m not… uncomfortable. I just-- you’re really attractive, and I think I’m having a mini-stroke over you flirting with me?” 

Chloe giggles. “Should I… stop then?” 

“No.” It’s almost embarrassing how fast the word flees Beca’s mouth. She clears her throat, catching Chloe’s amused gaze. “You’re really getting a kick out of this, huh? Making me all flustered?” 

Chloe’s shoulder lifts in a half-shrug. “I just think you’re really cute.” 

“Thanks?” Her phone vibrates on her lap with an incoming call, and it’s probably the first time Beca is happy to see Theo’s name pop up. She needs a second to mull over this… incredibly beautiful stranger being into her. “Sorry, I gotta take this. Would you mind looking over my stuff?” 

“Yeah, no worries.” 

Beca ventures away from the gate sitting area to not bother anyone while taking the phone call, slowly pacing up and down the main alley as Theo talks her ear off about the importance of her next projects over the next twenty minutes.

She stops at the vending machine in the corner on her way back to her seat, offering Chloe a bag of pretzels and a bottle of water. 

“Aw, thanks! That’s sweet of you.”

Beca shrugs it off and sits in the seat right next to Chloe instead of the one to her right, setting her own snack and water on her lap as she plugs her phone back in. 

“Do you ever… make up stories about the people you see walking by?” Chloe asks.

Beca chuckles. “Nope, can’t say that I do.”

“I like to do that in airports. It helps to pass the time,” she says, then tilts her chin towards the guy sitting across from them. “He’s visiting his girlfriend in LA.”

Beca cocks an eyebrow. “Is he?”

“Yep. He grins every time he looks at his phone, his knee’s bouncing and he keeps glancing towards the screen. He’s also clean-shaven, has a nice button down on. He looks nervous though... _Oh._ ” Chloe gasps like she has just cracked a case. “He’s meeting the _parents_.”

_“Yikes.”_

Chloe laughs, then glances at Beca. “Your turn.”

“Okay, um…” Beca straightens a little, clearing her throat as she scans the area. Her gaze settles on a couple with young kids in the corner, the father lightly bouncing a fussy baby. “That guy is definitely regretting his life choices. Baby number 3 wasn’t planned, the condom broke. He hasn’t slept through the night in the last six months.”

The string of giggles escaping Chloe’s lips makes her grin. “Okay, my turn…” She hums while she looks for their next victim. “Oh, these two,” she says, settling on a pair sitting against the wall to their rights. “Honeymooners.” 

“What??” Beca cries a little louder than she meant to. In a whisper, she adds, “He’s _clearly_ her _dad_.” 

Chloe shakes her head, popping a pretzel into her mouth. “Nope, they’re married.” 

As if on cue, the much older guy leans in to peck the younger woman’s lips, and Beca’s jaw drops in shock as her gaze flickers back to Chloe. “How did you know??” 

Chloe shrugs. “I’m just that good.” A few beats later, she sheepishly adds, “Fine, I saw them kiss earlier while you were on the phone.” 

Beca swats the side of her leg, shaking her head. “Cheater.” 

Her attention shifts to the flight attendant standing behind the desk when he speaks. 

_“Ladies and gentlemen, our technical team is doing their best to take care of the minor mechanical issue and we hope to start boarding shortly. Thank you for your patience.”_

A sigh flits past Beca’s lips. “Guess we’re gonna be here a while, huh?” 

Chloe nods and toes off her sneakers, shifting so she’s sat indian style facing Beca. “Let’s play a game.” 

Chloe’s energy and childlike excitement are weirdly contagious, and Beca mirrors her position after getting rid of her boots. “Okay, what’s the game?”

“20 questions.”

Beca rolls her eyes. “I guess it’s a better alternative than truth or dare.” Chloe’s eyes light up and she looks as though she wished she suggested that instead. _“No.”_

“Fine. You start.”

“No sex-related questions.”

Chloe grins. “I wasn’t going to after seeing what effect _flirting_ has on you. Wouldn’t want to give you a heart attack.”

Beca attempts to glare, but something seems to pull on the corners of her lips, which curl into an amused smile on their own accord. “Go-to pizza order?”

A bright laugh bursts free. “That’s your first question?”

“Hey, pizza is a serious business.”

“Oh _no_ , you’re one of those people who judge the ones who like pineapple on their pizza, aren’t you?”

“Because it’s weird as _fuck_ , dude!”

Chloe giggles, shrugging. “Fine, then I’m a weirdo.” She hums while she thinks of her own question. “What’s a perfect day for you?”

“Sleeping in until at least ten,” Beca starts. “Have brunch, make music for the rest of the day, and maybe go out for dinner with some of my closest friends. But I’m also good with staying in my pajamas all day and ordering take-out. Something low-key, really. Oh, and no manager calling. He’s a pain in my ass.”

Chloe chuckles. “That sounds like a relaxing day.”

“Yeah, I kinda wish I had more of those.” Beca uncaps her water and takes a sip before asking her a question. “What are you most grateful for in life?”

“My acapella friends,” Chloe replies without a beat of hesitation. “Greatest accomplishment?”

“Wait, wait, hold on,” Beca rushes out, holding up a hand. “Did you just say acapella?”

“Yeah. I was in a singing group during college.”

Beca blinks. “Oh wow. Are there any videos of this?”

“It was my turn to ask a question, I believe.”

“Right, right. Sorry. We’re _definitely_ rounding back to that later, though.” Beca grins sheepishly as she remembers Chloe’s question. “Um, winning a Grammy, I guess?” She feels her cheeks heat up as soon as it’s out. “Wow, that sounded less obnoxious in my head.” 

Chloe shakes her head, smiling. “Nah. I can tell you’re not one of those entitled artists, don’t worry. Those wouldn’t be shocked over being flirted with,” she quips with a wink. 

Beca grunts, her eyes rolling towards the ceiling. “You’re just not going to let me live this down, are you?” 

“Nope.” 

“Favorite artist?” 

“Ooooh,” Chloe drawls out. “This feels like a deal-breaking question, coming from someone like you. Are you going to go sit somewhere else if I pick someone you don’t like?” 

Beca barks out a laugh, shaking her head. “I’m open-minded. Music is subjective, after all. Unless you say like, Carly Rae Jepsen or something.” 

Chloe lets out another one of those adorable giggles. _Man_ , Beca’s got it bad, and they’ve only known each other twenty-five minutes. Something tells her, her crush on Chloe is bound to get worse the more she learns about her. “I think it’s a tie between Hozier and Fleetwood Mac.” 

Dammit. There’s that point proven. 

“Nice pick,” Beca says cooly, even though she’s having a mini-panic attack because Chloe is just… way too good to be true, and Beca starts to wonder where she’s been all her life. “Bathroom break, I’ll be right back.” 

She plops back down a few minutes later, taking back her initial position. “Your turn.” 

“If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any quality or ability, what would it be?” 

“Flirting,” Beca jokes, her grin hitching wider as Chloe laughs. “I guess I’d love to speak another language. French or Spanish, I think.” She eats a few more peanuts as she thinks about her next question. “What do you value most in a partner?” 

“Kindness, for sure. I couldn’t date someone who’s an asshole to me or other people. Honesty and respect are incredibly important, too. And a good sense of humor. That goes for my friendships as well.” Chloe smiles. “Who has been the biggest influence in your life?” 

“My grandma,” Beca states after a stretch of silence. “She was the most badass person I know. She rallied for civil rights back in the ’60s, didn’t care that it was dangerous. She taught me how to stand up for myself without defaulting to violence. My love for music also comes from her. She would sing _all_ the time.” A soft smile spreads across her features as fond memories swirl in her mind. “I definitely wouldn’t be where I’m at if it wasn’t for her.” 

“I love that,” Chloe says softly. 

Beca tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “What was your family like growing up?” 

“We were all really close. Still are. I have two older brothers, we grew up in Oregon. My dad would take us on these outdoor adventures close to every weekend. We’d go fishing, camping, hiking… it was awesome.” 

“You do seem like you’d be crazy enough to enjoy the outdoors,” Beca teases. “Aren’t there like… bears in Oregon?” 

“Yeah, but they don’t attack for no reason.” 

Beca hums, unconvinced. “Famous last words.” 

“Would you call yourself a romantic?” Chloe asks next. 

Beca’s nose scrunches up. “I wouldn’t say so. I’m not into Valentine’s Day or that sort of stuff. And I--”

_“Attention, passengers. We are ready to start boarding, starting with first-class ticket holders.”_

Beca feels a pang of disappointment in her chest as she hitches her thumb over her shoulder. She was sort of hoping it would take them longer to fix whatever the issue was. “That’s me. Oh, um…” she shifts to unplug Chloe’s charger, handing it over. “Thanks for that. I guess I’ll see you… after the flight?” 

“Yeah,” Chloe nods, smiling. “For sure.” 

As Beca walks down the corridor leading to the plane after handing the flight attendant her ticket, she can’t help but feel like she’s missed the biggest opportunity in her life. She should have probably asked for Chloe’s number. Not that it’s too late since they’re literally going to be stuck in the same plane for the next four hours, but Beca doesn’t know if she has the guts to walk up to her and ask for it now that their moment is gone, let alone in front of other passengers. 

As the plane doors close fifteen minutes later, Beca lifts her hand to call the flight attendant. “This is going to sound really weird, but,” she starts, clearing her throat. “There’s a redheaded woman sitting in economy, and I was wondering if I could switch my seat with her neighbor. I promise I’m not a stalker or anything, we just hit it off while waiting and… yeah.” 

The young flight attendant smiles, nodding. “Let me see what I can do.” 

“Thanks.” 

The airline employee comes back a minute later with a middle-aged man by her side, and Beca rises to her feet, flashing him the thumbs up. “Thanks, man, I owe you one.” 

“32C,” the flight attendant lets her know, and winks. 

She freaking _winks._

Beca can feel her ears pinken as she reaches for her bag in the overhead compartment, unable to meet the other woman’s eyes. “Thank you.” 

She heads down the aisle, her eyes squinting to read the numbers above the seats until she finds the right one. Chloe is looking at her with an amused expression, which has Beca sheepishly shrugging. 

“You claim not to be a romantic yet you switch your _first-class_ seat for an economy one just to sit next to me?” 

Beca is glad to see that the third seat is unoccupied, granting them some room and privacy. “I guess I sort of like your company.” 

“Awww, you ditched the champagne and reclining leather seat for me,” Chloe gushes as Beca drops down in the seat next to her. “I feel special.” 

Beca rolls her eyes lightly, then clears her throat, sobering up as she angles her body towards Chloe, as much as the seat allows. She comes out with it before she changes her mind. “I kinda-- I was frustrated with myself for not asking for your number out there.” 

Chloe grins, leaning closer a bit like she’s going to share a secret. “I may have slipped it into your bag while you were in the bathroom.” 

“Oh,” Beca lets out in surprise, a bashful sort of grin taking over her nervous looking features. “Cool.” 

Chloe giggles, and then she’s closing the gap between them, her lips brushing over Beca’s in a soft, tentative kiss. A hum surface from Beca’s throat as her hand finds Chloe’s jaw, cradling her face gently as she chases Chloe’s mouth into a bolder one, their lips sliding together in harmony like it’s a dance they’ve been doing forever.

Beca might be insecure when it comes to flirting and making the first move, but she knows she’s a damn good kisser.

A clear of the throat makes them pull away half a minute later. Beca flushes hard when she sees that same flight attendant standing there, seemingly fighting to keep her professionalism in check as the hint of a smirk replaces her corporate smile. “We’re about to take off, please fasten your seatbelts, ladies.” 

Beca’s head bobs in a nod as she reaches for the two ends of hers. “Sorry, yes.” 

“Was that your wingwoman?” Chloe asks. 

“Shut up,” Beca mumbles, casting her a playful glare. 

Chloe dozes off shortly after take-off, her head finding Beca’s shoulder. Beca drops a kiss into her hair and rests her cheek atop Chloe’s head, her own eyes slipping shut. 

Against all expectations, her day got a hell of a lot better, after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Feedback is always appreciated <3


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